The present application relates generally to providing media streams from Internet sites.
The World Wide Web (WWW) is conventionally conceived as a system in which a user navigates between text documents on different servers by means of hypertext links. Activating a hypertext link causes another page, also composed of text and links, to be delivered to the client computer. Thus, on the WWW, a user""s experience is determined by the order in which the user clicks on links.
In general, non-text objects are treated as illustrations placed on text pages. Although WWW standards include an open ended specification for handling multimedia files that allows media objects to be referenced by hypertext links, those references are treated no differently than hypertext links to pages and illustrations. Typically, three techniques are used to access multimedia files. First, a link can point to a special media file that requires a special player program to produce the images and sounds of the media file. Second, the link can point to a player program that starts independently of the web browser to play the media file. The interface provided by the player program controls the media file. Third, the link can point to a player program embedded in the page. In this case, the user can click on the link to choose which media file to play without leaving the page. However, the size of the image displayed and the controls available to the user are chosen by the web page designer.
The currently available tools that can be used to synchronize the presentation of multimedia components include proprietary languages, such as Macromedia""s Lingo and Apple""s HyperCard, and scripting languages, such as ECMAScript (JavaScript). In recognition of the difficulty of multimedia authoring with the currently available tools, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has proposed a new language called the Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language (SMIL).
The WWW was developed for utility in the assembly and cross referencing of text content documents with user freedom in navigation. On the other hand, multimedia development has focused on interactive but canned content with limited use options that are defined by the author. Thus, multimedia on the web has been subject to conflicting developmental pressures, and has not developed a coherent presentation format.
In one aspect, the invention is directed to a web page with a player for playing media objects, a sequencer which displays a play list that defines an order in which media objects are played by the player, a media access area for containing a plurality of graphical icons. Each graphical icon representing a media object, and the graphical icons can be manipulated by a user to modify the play list.
Implementations of the invention may include the following features. The graphical icon includes an indication of a media type of the media object and text describing content of the graphical object. A graphical icon can be dragged from the media access area to the sequencer to add the media object represented by the graphical icon to the play list. The sequencer can display one of multiple play lists, and the user may switch between play lists by selecting a tab associated with the play list. For each graphic object in the play list, the play list box may contain a copy of the graphical icons representing the graphical object, a checkbox to control whether the player will play the graphic object, and a pop-up menu to provide information about the graphic object. The sequencer and media access area may be implemented with scripted DHTML. The media access area may include an expandable and collapsible outline of subjects, and the media icons may be arranged in lists in the outline. The media access area may include a tab for each subject at a top level of the outline, and the user can switch between subjects by selecting a one of the tabs. The media access area may display one of a plurality of outlines, and the user can switch between outlines by selecting a tab. The player may include a control panel and a draggable image display window. The image display window may include a home button to return the image display window to a home position on the web page, an image area, a handle, a button to hide the image area, and a size lock button to prevent the image display window from expanding beyond a default size. The web page may further include a site-driven area to display a banner. The banner may be synchronized with the media object being played by the player, and a media object may be associated with the banner. The user may change the play list to play the media object associated with the banner by manipulating the banner. Dragging the banner to the sequencer may add the media object associated with the banner to the play list, and dragging the banner to the image area of the player may play the media object associated with the banner. The banner may include a pop-up menu to display information about the media object associated with the banner.
In another aspect, the invention is directed to a method of operating a web page. Multiple sources of streaming content are displayed to a user, and user input is received to select a playing order for the sources of streaming content. The playing order is stored, user input is received to start delivering the streaming content to the user, and the streaming content is presented to the user in the stored order.
In another aspect, the invention is directed to an Internet site having a first database to store information about a plurality of media objects, a second database to store information about how the media objects are to be presented on a web page, a third database to store information about a plurality of users, and an application server for communicating with a client running the web page.
Advantages of the invention may include one or more of the following. The user can locate and control streams of multimedia content in real time without accessing different web pages or surrendering control to a media player program. A user can define and assemble multiple sequences of media objects, particularly sources of streaming content. The user can manage a persistent personal collection of media objects from a network client. The user can gather additional streaming content while a media object is playing, and can modify and create sequences while a media object is playing. The user can add and remove media objects from a sequence, can deselect media objects to prevent them from playing without removing them from a sequence, and can switch between different user defined sequences. New media objects can be preloaded into a sequence based on a personal preference or interest profile defined by the user. Individual user histories (as defined by the order in which a user adds media objects to sequences and plays the media objects) can be used to generate an outline organized by user-defined tabs and dates. Users can exchange play lists and player combinations by electronic mail.
The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims.